The Hobbit - An Unexpected Journey

Introduction: As a rule, I always try to be as objective as possible in my reviews. Of course, this is difficult in so far as any form of art, be it music, literature or indeed cinema, is always an entirely subjective experience. But there are enough aspects that can be considered objectively and that in the end allow the conclusion for which target group a film is made and if they can enjoy it. But every now and then there are films where I have to drop any form of objectivity, because my own enthusiasm simply gets in the way. The Hobbit - An Unexpected Journey is one such film. For over a year I have been anticipating the moment I got to see the film, looking forward like a child to every image, trailer and Peter Jackson's video blogs. As a huge fan of the Lord of the Rings films, who also found the multiple endings in The Return of the King not a second too long, I couldn't wait to get back to Middle Earth for a few hours. Therefore, the following review will be a very personal one, aimed primarily at Lord of the Rings fans and anyone else who can still develop a childlike capacity for enthusiasm at the movies even as an adult.

The Story: In The Hobbit - An Unexpected Journey, Bilbo Baggins (Ian Holm) begins by writing down his adventures as a young hobbit for Frodo (Elijah Wood). His story begins with Gandalf the Grey (Ian McKellen) seeking him out and inviting him on a grand adventure. To be sure, Bilbo (Martin Freeman) declines with thanks. Nevertheless, in the evening thirteen dwarves suddenly appear at his door, who first raid his larder and then, led by Gandalf and the legendary dwarf warrior Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage), present him with their real plan: together they want to travel to the legendary Lonely Mountain, where they want to reconquer the former dwarf kingdom of Erebor from the dragon Smaug. At first Bilbo has no interest in risking his life for the dwarves, but then he cannot resist the fascination of a possible adventure. And so he joins Thorin and the other dwarves and begins the journey to the Lonely Mountain - a journey in which he must face trolls, orcs, and many other deadly dangers. But the encounter that will permanently change his fate and that of Middle-earth is yet to come.

A Long Way Back to Middle-earth: After the enormous success of The Lord of the Rings trilogy, it naturally stood to reason that The Hobbit would also find its way to the big screen. But the road there was long and very rocky. Legal disputes with the executors of J.R.R. Tolkien's estate, problems with laws in New Zealand and also financial difficulties of the producing studio kept delaying the start of production. But then there was finally good news: Guillermo Del Toro (Pan`s Labyrinth) had been signed on as director, and Peter Jackson would join the new journey to Middle Earth as producer and co-writer. Production could finally begin. But then the next bad news followed: Del Toro resigned as director even before it had really begun. After the rumor mill sent some ominous-sounding successors into the race, the fan tempers calmed down only when Peter Jackson announced that he himself would now take over the direction. Finally, all the pieces were in place and filming could begin. Although there were still some setbacks, such as the devastating earthquake in New Zealand, after the first flap had fallen, but what many fans had almost no longer thought possible, was now finally a reality: The Hobbit comes to the cinemas!

3D and HFR technology: Peter Jackson has shot his Hobbit films with the latest stereo camera technology in 3D. He uses the 3D visuals primarily to immerse the viewer deeply in the world of the hobbits, dwarves and orcs. Jackson largely does without the typical 3D gimmicks, only occasionally a sword points into the audience or heads fly from Bilbo's vest towards the audience. But overall, 3D here is finally not a pure gimmick, but a real visual enhancement.

Whether this also applies to the HFR technology, which is used here for the first time, that's another story. Unlike usual films, which show 24 frames per second, the high frame rate runs a full 48 frames per second across the screen. This clearly benefits the sharpness of the image, as details are now visible that would otherwise simply be swallowed up. What is lost, however, is the typical cinema look that one has simply become accustomed to over the past eight decades. The image just seems too real at moments, too much like a high-quality home video recording, so that the magical, the imaginative is also lost a bit. Technically, the whole thing is a revolution, no question, but whether that also applies to the image aesthetics is up for debate. After a film, this can not and should not be evaluated definitively.

Fact is that especially in close-ups the HFR look still has significant shortcomings. Absolutely convincing can the high frame rate, however, in such scenes in which computer effects are integrated into the action. Gollum has never looked so lifelike, and even the Orc King, who was obviously brought to life on the computer, is so seamlessly integrated into the action that it's hard to stop marveling. Still, I personally look forward to watching the film next time in the 24 frames per second version as it is shown in those theaters that are not yet technically capable of playing the HFR version.

Those who opt for the HFR version will have to spend a few minutes getting used to the unusual look. The richness of detail is still a bit overwhelming for the eye, but after 15 minutes at the latest, the first phase of acclimatization should be over. Whether you like the look or not is then a very personal aesthetic opinion. An experience is the film in this way but always.

The negative aspects: There is actually not much - at least in my eyes. Apart from the visuals, which take a bit of getting used to, only two dialogue scenes really stood out to me in a negative way, as they somehow don't want to fit Middle-earth. In the first, Gandalf tells Bilbo a story about Bilbo's ancestors, which he ends by revealing how the game of golf was invented. It's quite a nice gag at the time, but it doesn't fit into this fantasy world any more than Dwarf Ori asking for some chips from the Elves in the original English. Again, quite a funny moment in itself, but one that rather suggests that the dwarves are from Britain and not Middle Earth.

There are a few other aspects besides these two moments that I personally wouldn't rate as negative at all, but which are sure to draw criticism from some other viewers (and critics). These include the fact that the overall tone of the film is much lighter and less somber than the Lord of the Rings films, which is of course due to the literary template and the fact that there is far less at stake in the story. In addition, the humor and overall production are a bit more childlike (but not childish!) and playful, culminating in the slightly confused wizard Radagast with his rabbit sled. Some critics even compared Radagast to Jar Jar Binks from the first prequel of the Star Wars saga. But this criticism is completely exaggerated. Even if the wizard comes across a bit silly compared to Gandalf and Saruman, he is far from being as annoying and unnecessary as Jar Jar.

Also the beginning divides the opinions a bit. In particular, those critics and viewers who found the end of The Return of the King too long describe the first third of The Hobbit - An Unexpected Journey as extremely tough. Since I enjoy every minute I get to spend in this world, I didn't feel that way. But you should be prepared that Peter Jackson takes his time to tell the story and that he describes the first meeting between Bilbo and the dwarves in the same detail as in the book. If you think it's too long there, you might have problems with the movie version.

The Positive: The rest of the movie is actually beyond criticism. As I said, I'm a little biased there for sure. But since the flair of the Lord of the Rings films is perfectly revived not only by the really nice beginning for fans or the appearance of characters like Elrond and Galadriel, but also by the design of the different parts of Middle-earth and the creatures living in it, there should be little reason for fans of the trilogy not to like this first part of the prequel. There's plenty of action, some of which gets a little violent, breathtaking landscape shots, great special effects, and a balanced mix of humor, suspense, and fantasy.

In casting, Peter Jackson and his team have also done a great job. Martin Freeman (Sherlock, Love Actually.Love) is the perfect Bilbo Baggins. With his facial expressions and gestures he manages perfectly to express on the one hand the hobbit's love of solitude, his cosy home and his aversion to anything that disturbs his peace, but on the other hand also his curiosity and the thirst for adventure that lies dormant within him. But also Richard Armitage (Robin Hood) is just great as the warrior Thorin. In the last scene of the film there is a moment between Thorin and Bilbo that is just pure goosebumps.

Besides the two, the rest of the dwarves fade into the background a bit. But James Nesbitt as Bofur and Aidan Turner (Being Human) as Kili in particular are able to show, even with little dialogue, that they are more than just amusing cues. One can already look forward to when these and the other characters are given a bit more space in the next films.

One quick word about the special effects. Especially with the computer-generated characters, it's clear that technology has taken another step forward not only since The Return of the King, but also since Avatar. Whether Gollum, the Orc King or Thorin's adversary Azog, they are all almost perfectly realized thanks to the latest technology and their motion-capture actors. The same goes for the landscapes above and below ground, again created with a mix of real filming locations, backdrops and computer effects.

The Music:In addition to Peter Jackson, many creative minds in the background and some of the cast, composer Howard Shore has also traveled back to Middle Earth. And his music for The Hobbit - An Unexpected Journey makes it clear what an important part Shore's sounds are to Jackson's Middle Earth. From the first second, the blending of familiar themes with new ones instantly transports fans back to the world they left with much wistfulness in The Return of the King. The main new theme, first heard when the dwarves intone a melancholy song at Bilbo's house and also picked up in the end credits in Neil Finn's song Song of the lonely Mountain, is simply magnificent and effortlessly joins the themes of the Rings trilogy that have long since advanced to modern soundtrack classics.

Conclusion: The Hobbit - An Unexpected Journey was the most eagerly anticipated film of the year for me. My expectations were high, even though I kept trying to temper them a bit so as not to be disappointed in the end. Still, right up until the moment the lights went out in the theater, I was hoping for nothing but the best - and I wasn't disappointed. Sure, there will be many viewers who will find fault with the film, its humor, its effects, or its length. But if you loved the Lord of the Rings films for how they allowed you to immerse yourself in another world for a few hours, you'll feel that same feeling here. And that absolute feeling of happiness that the film then evokes is really only marred after the wonderful final shot by the realization that it will now be another year before the journey continues. The film is pure cinema magic, which is fun, exciting and allows you to dream even as an adult. And for that, of course, I give it only one possible nerd rating: absolutely worth seeing!

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©2012 Warner Bros. Ent. All Rights Reserved

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and The Hobbit, and the names of the characters, events, items and places therein, are trademarks of the Saul Zaentz Company d/b/a Middle-earth Enterprises and license to New Line Productions, Inc.

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp